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Vitamin C is a necessary part of the human diet. Our bodies cannot make Vitamin C, nor to they store vitamin C and so it's essential that you get some vitamin C every day. Interestingly our inability to create Vitamin C is a genetic defect that developed sometime in the past and spread through the human population.
It's important for its role in the production of collagen in the body. Collagen is the main protein of connective tissue in the body and it’s a big part of cartilage, ligaments, teeth, and bones. It's also responsible for skin elasticity and strength. Without Vitamin C our body can't effectively make Collagen and thus our tissues grow weak and easy to damage, leading to a condition known as Scurvy. You can die from this but it's unlikely to develop with today's diet.
Vitamin C is also a part of the production of dopamine, noradrenalin and adrenaline in the nervous system. Dopamine is critical for the brain's ability to control movement and a lack of dopamine will give symptoms similar to those shown in Parkinson's disease. It's the chemical that helps us to experience pleasure. Whenever we do something good, like eating, the brain will release a little dopamine into the body as a form of positive reinforcement. A lack of it is thought to play a role in many neurological disorders.
Noradrenalin, a.k.a. Norepinephrine plays a large role in the brains ability to focus and concentrate and it's used in combination with other chemicals to treat ADHD. Noradrenalin is a transporter of Dopamine in the brain and doctors use it to treat patients with Depression.
Adrenaline, a.k.a. Epinephrine is a part of the body's fight or flight response and when the brain releases it your heart rate increases, pupils dilate and blood sugar level increases. Large doses of this chemical over time can suppress your immune system, luckily the brain usually knows when and how much to secrete.
Lastly but not least Vitamin C is a water soluble antioxidant. It helps to support the immune system by attaching to free floating radicals in the body that can damage cells, which are eventually flushed from the system. Free radicals can cause a variety of illnesses, the best known of which is Cancer. There is much controversy over the optimum dosage of Vitamin C. The FDA recommends that people get 60mg a day, but it's been shown that those who are ill, pregnant or under stress can make use of higher dosages. That’s why it's so popular to take Vitamin C when you are sick. The Vitamin C foundation suggests 3000mg daily for those who are exceptions to the norm. If you take a lot of Vitamin C and aren't sick you're likely to develop painful urination and diarrhea as your body flushes unused, unneeded Vitamin C from its system, and what's the point in that.
Author Vincent Platania represents the Stanley Home Products. Stanley Home Products has been in business since 1936, and offers high quality home and personal care products to keep your home and your body clean. Visit http://www.stanleybeautycare.com
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